Display plate for automobile bumpers



April 7, 1925.

w. F. MARTIN DISPLAY PLATE FOR AUTOMOBILE BUMPERS Filed llarch 20, 1924INVENTOR WIT - flrr awa s Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I. MARTIN, OF BALDWINSVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PENN SPRINGWORKS INC., OF BALDWINSVILLE,-NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DISPLAY PLATE FOR AUTOMOBILE BUMPERS.

Application filed March 20, 1924. Serial No. 700,616.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. MARTIN,

I a citizen of the United States of America,

and a resident of Baldwinsville, in thecounty of Onondaga, in the Stateof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Display Platesfor Automobile Bumpers, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an automobile bumper plate used moreparticularly in connection with spaced bumper bars to assist in holdingthem in relatively fixed spaced relation and also serving as a means forreceiving and supporting various plaques or display plates bearingdistinctive marks or characters for identification and other purposes.

The main object is to provide a device of this character which will beat once ornamental and serviceable for the urposes named and which maybe easily an quickly applied to the bumper bar or bars with aminimumliability of relative displacement.

Another object is to construct the device in sections adapted to beapplied to opposite faces of the bars and to provide said sections withinterlocking members for holding them against relative movement whensecured in place.

A further object is to provide one of the sections with a sight openingand to removably secure the display section across the opening by thesame means employed for clamping the main sections to the bumper bars.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will bebrought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a face view of an automobile bumper equippedwith my improved spacing and display device.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 22, Figure1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on line 33,Figure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of the outer and inner platesections respectively.

of the bumper bars A and for simultaneously holding the display plate 3in operative position.

As illustrated, this clamping means comprises an inner plate --1 and apair of clamping bolts 5 which are passed through registering openingsin the plates 1 and 4 at opposite ends of the sight opening the plate 4being pro-' vided with lugs 6 for engaging the inner face of themarginal edge of the plate 3 and holding the latter in place. 1

The outline of the plate 1 is somewhat triangular in form with its apexat the bottom and its opposite side edges gradually swelling from theapex to the top which latter is provided with double concave portions 1meeting at a point -1" directly over the lower apex. all of whichproduces an ornamental efl'ect set forth in my design application,Serial Number 9007, filed March 20, 1924, (Case A).

The sight opening 2 is preferably rectangular and is formed in the upperwider portion of the plate 1- midway between the opposite sides thereof,the marginal walls of said opening being rabbeted to form seats 7against which the corresponding edges of the plaque 3 are adapted torest when adjusted for use.

In other words, the rabbeted portion of the plate 1- surrounding theopening 2 forms a pocket or marginal recess, in which the plate 3- isseated, the lower, upper and side walls of the pocket serving to holdthe plate against vertical or lateral displacement when resting againstthe seat are preferably square to receive corresponding portions of thebolts 5 and holding them against turning when clamping the plates to thebumper bars, the outer ends of the bolts being rounded to form what mabe termed rosettes 5'-, at opposite en s of the opening for ornamentalpurposes in additionto their usual function as bolt heads.

The inner clamping plate ---4.- is also somewhat triangular in generaloutline but of somewhat smaller area than that of the outer plate 1except as to the portions through which the bolts -5- pass, the objectbeing to cause the outer plate to practicall conceal the inner platewhen the de gice is adjusted for use upon the bumper ars.

The vertical height of the inner plate -4- is also greater than thedistance between the bars A- so that its upper and lower edges may restfiatwise agalnst the inner faces of saidbars in spaced relation to theplate -1-.

This plate 4- is provided with lower and upper parallel ribs or flanges9 and -10--, the lower face of the lower flange and upper face of theupper flange being arranged a distance apart corresponding a rox'imatelyto the distance between the a acent edges of the bumper bars A- and arebeveled inwardly so as to wedge against the inner edges of said bars,and thereby to frictionally hold the plates 1 and 4- against endwisedisplacement when properly tightened upon the bars.

As previously stated, the lugs -6- are formed upon the inner plate 4 andproject outwardly some distance beyond the flanges -9- for engaging theinner faces of the lower, upper and end edges of the display plate -3and holding said display plate against the seat -7 when the device isadjusted for use and the bolts 5 are firmly tightened.

Thatis, the tightening of the bolts --5- serves the double purpose ofclamping the plates -1- and -4- to the bumper bars A and also of clampinthe display plate 3 in the pocket of t e plate -1- across the sightopening -2-.

The circular openings as 11, in the plate -4- as shown in Figure 5 arefor the purpose of reducing the weight of said plate, which togetherwith the plate -1- may be made of cast metal or any other suitablematerial while the display plate -3 is preferably made of sheet metal oran other suit able material capable of receiving and displaying anydesired name, emblem or other distinguishing character or marks whichmay add to the utility or ornamental character of the device as a whole.

It will be observed that the lugs -6-- in addition to their function ofholding the display plate 3- in place also engage the walls of therecess surrounding the opening -2- and thereby serve to hold thesections -1-- and 4- against relative lateral or vertical movement. 4

That is, the ribs -10- hold the plate against vertical movementrelatively to the bars A-- and also hold the bars in fixed spacedrelation while the lugs .-6 on the late -4 assist the bolts -5 insupportmg the plate -1- and holding it against movement relatively tothe plate 4-.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with spaced bumper bars for automobiles, of a mainplate engaging the bars above and below the space and provided with asight opening registering with said space, a display plate mounted inthe first named plate across the sight opening, and means for clampingthe first named plate to the bars and the display plate to the rst namedplate.

2. A bumper plate of the character described, comprising opposedsections, one of said sections having an opening, the other sectionhaving lugs projecting into and engaging the walls of the openingwhereby the two sections are held a ainst relative lateral movement, oneupon the other, and means for clamping the sections together.

3. The combination with spaced bumper bars, of a bum er plate comprisingopposed sections, one 0 said sections being provided with a recess inits inner face, the other section being provided with lugs projectingin- 1 to and engaging the walls of the recess to hold both sectionsagainst relative lateral movement, one of the sections being providedwith ribs projecting into the space between and engaging the adjacentedges of 1 the bars to hold the plate against vertical movementrelatively to said bars, and means for clamping the sections againstopposite faces of the bars.

4. A bumper plate of the character de- 1 scribed comprising opposedsections, one of said sections having a sight opening and a recessextending around the marginal edges of the sight opening, a displayplate seated in the recess across the sight 0 ening, the 12 othersection being provided wit lugs rojecting into and engaging the displayp ate, and means for clamping the sections together to hold the displayplate in place.

5. The combination with spaced bumper 11 bars, of a bum r platecomprising opposed sections extendifig across the s ace and engagingopposite faces of the ars, one of said sections being provided with asight opening and a recess extending beyond the openin the other sectionbemg' provided with ri s having beveled faces engaging adjacent edges ofthe bars, and also provided with lugs projecting into and engaging thewalls of said recess, and a display plate seated in the recess and heldin place by said lugs, and means for ti htening and releasin thesections upon an from the bars, an also for tightening and releasingthe'display plate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March,1924.

, WILLIAM F.-MARTIN. Witnesses H. E. CHASE, RITA CAMPOLIETO.

